Lateral arm assembly for aluminum awnings



Feb. 12, 1952 c. B. HUlZENGA I LATERAL ARM ASSEMBLY FOR ALUMINUM AWNINGS Filed Jfil 6, 1950 Patented Feb. 12, 1952 LATERAL ARM ASSEMBLY FOR ALUMINUM AWNIN GS Charles B. Huizenga, Niles, Mich., assignor to The Kawneer Company, Niles, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,355

2 Claims. (Cl. 16070) This invention relates to awnings and has specific reference to supporting structures for a roller type awning so designed and constructed that the awning frame, when retracted, is considerably more compact and closely nested than types heretofore known, yet is nevertheless firm, stable and adequately supported throughout.

A further object is the provision of an awning frame having a curtain, a front bar and supporting arms therefor, wherein the arms are so constructed and arranged that when the awning is retracted, they position themselves below the front bar rather than between the front bar and the roller, so that the transverse dimension of the retracted awning assembly is as small as possible. This obviously is desirable from a standpoint of appearance as well as for mechanical considerations, especially in concealed awning units.

A further object of the invention is to provide an awning having a curtain rolled on a back roller and adapted to be extended forwardly to a front bar, with a pair of jointed lateral arms extending outwardly under the curtain to support and stabilize the bar, with the pivotal connections between the bar and the sections of the arm offset in such a manner that the front bar and the arm sections will nest compactly together when the awning is retracted, yet wherein means are provided so that the pivoted joint or knuckle of the arm is adequately supported and restrained from any accidental displacement which would interfere with its operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an awning having a front bar and jointed supporting arms therefor, a novel and improved retaining means to secure and stabilize the arm and the joint thereof when retracted, so as to prevent accidental displacement of the knuckle of the arms outwardly from its retracted position. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide abutting stop surfaces on the front bar and arm assembly respectively, to prevent outward displacement of the knuckles of the arms and thus assure proper functioning of these parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an awning structure including a front bar and lateral supporting arms therefor, wherein the front bar is interconnected with the ends of the supporting arm by an offset pivot bracket of improved design, such that destructive interference between the arm mechanism and the awning curtain is eliminated and so that the arm and front bar may be interconnected to each other more easily, conveniently and accurately than with the types of constructions previously used.

The foregoing objects are accomplished according to the present teachings by the provision of an awning frame including a front bar and a pair of lateral supporting arms therefor, wherein the lower ends of the supporting arms are pivoted to the front bar at a point below and substantially spaced from the plane of the curtain, with the upper and lower arm sections of the arm assemblies pivoted to each other with an offset knuckle, so that when the awning is retracted, the front bar and both sections of the lateral arm assembly lie in a common plane substantially normal to the plane of the awning curtain, where they are engaged and held in this retracted position by interlocking parts between the front bar and the arm assembly.

The improved construction by which these important objects are accomplished will be best described in connection with the drawings of this application, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an awning constructed in accordance with the present teachings, showing a typical embodiment of the invention and illustrating the relationship between the awning roller, curtain, front bar and supporting arms;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the awning in its retracted position, with the curtain thereof being removed to show the manner in which the arm retaining means of the invention prevents displacement of the several parts of the frame; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, illustrating the several parts of the awning frame in retracted position to show the manner in which the front bar and the sections of the lateral arm are compactly nested in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the awning curtain, with their abutting stop surfaces in contact to prevent accidental outward displacement of the arm.

The awning frame structure here disclosed and claimed is primarily designed for use with awnings having a curtain made up of articulated aluminum slats, but the structure here disclosed is of broader application and may be employed with any type of awning that includes an upper roller to on which the curtain H is wound, with a front bar [2 to support the lower and outer end of the curtain.

The bar I2 is supported and stabilized by a pair of lateral arm assemblies, each comprising an upper arm section generally designated as i3, and a lower arm section generally designated as I4. As shown, each of these sections of the arm assembly comprises a length of metal tube, and the two tubes are joined to each other and to their associated parts by cast fittings and offset pivots, as will appear. The upper arm section l3 has a fitting it: carried by a pivot pin 16 which may be mounted on any conventional supporting structure (not shown). It is contemplated, however, that the pin I6 shall be secured to the structure to which the awning is attached and shall be located in a position adjacent the back roller i and inclined so that the axis of the pivot I6 is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the curtain ll. Thus, the arm I3 in swinging about the pivot moves in a path below and parallel with the curtain, but spaced therefrom sufficiently as to prevent accidental contact that might otherwise mar the finish of the parts or damage the relatively thin metal of the curtain slats.

The outer end of the upper arm I3 is joined to the lower arm I by an offset tensioning knuckle comprising castings I! and I8 pivoted to each other on the pin l9. This knuckle is so constructed and arranged that the upper and lower arm sections 13 and I4 may fold together to lie substantially parallel with each other, with the section l4 spaced above and closely adjacent the section l3 (Figure 3). Tensioning means such as the chain may be provided if desired, but since this mechanism forms no essential part of the present invention, it will not be described herein.

The outer end of the lower arm section 14 has an end fitting 2| through which the pivot pin a surface of the front bar opposite the curtain II), and the pivot pin 22 is located at a point sufficiently below the bar I2 so that when the arm assembly is retracted, the front bar l2 and the arm sections l3 and [4 will all lie in closely nested relationship and in a plane below the front bar and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the awning curtain. Thus, when the awning is retracted, the parts may nest much more compactly than is possible with structures wherein the arm mechanism occupies space between the front bar and the back roller. It is also of advantage that the lower section M of the arm assembly is spaced well away from the awning curtain, so that these parts cannot accidentally engage and damage each other.

It will be seen that with the offset bracket 23 of the shape shown, the cap screws 24 by which the bracket is secured to the front bar are in a position where they are easily accessible in use and where the openings in the front bar intended to receive these cap screws are perpendicular to the curtain so they may be conveniently drilled and tapped as the unit is installed. In this connection, it may be pointed out that it has been found desirable to adjustably secure the arm supporting brackets on the front bar at the time of original assembly and afiix them in final position only after the mechanism has been given a preliminary test for rolling and unrolling. To this end, the brackets 23 are provided with a slotted aperture for one of the cap screws 24 so that the brackets may be temporarily secured to the front bar and adjusted back and forth thereon until the ideal position is determined, after which a second screw hole is drilled through the other aperture of the bracket, and a second cap screw 24 is threaded therethrough into the front bar.

When the front bar and lateral arm sections are in the position shown, they occupy a minimum of space and permit the front bar to be retracted as close to the roller as desired. The arm assemblies are not subject to accidental displacement when retracted, however, since the front bar has an arm retainer comprising a metal stamping 25 secured to the bar by cap screws 26.

This retainer extends downwardly from the front bar, and has an inwardly curved seat portion 21 which engages the tubular portion of the lower arm section [4 at a point adjacent the casting IQ of the oifset knuckle so that it restrains the lateral arm assembly from unwanted outward displacement of the knuckle portion, which might otherwise interfere with the proper functioning of the several parts (Figure 3). Thus, the engagement between the retainer secured to the front bar and the arm sections provides abutting stop surfaces between the front bar and the arm, which prevent outward movement of the arm when in its retracted position. It follows that the transverse dimension of the entire assembly may be considerably less than with arm constructions of previously known types, yet the folded lateral arm assemblies will be engaged by the retainer on the front bar as the arms fold inwardly, and. will be positively carried to their correct retracted positions and prevented from becoming so misplaced as to interfere with the smooth and proper operation of the awning.

Moreover, with the foregoing structure, the lateral arm mechanism operates at an increased distance from the awning curtain, so that accidental contact between these parts is eliminated, and the consequent marring of the finish of the parts or damage to the relatively light metal of the curtain is eliminated.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an awning having a front bar, a back roller and a curtain suspended therebetween, the

- combination of a pivoted lateral arm assembly having upper and lower arm sections interconnected by a pivot, an offset pivotal connection between the front bar and the end of the lower arm section wherein said front bar, lower arm section and upper arm section, when collapsed, lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the awning curtain, and an arm retainer comprising a member affixed to the front bar at a point remote from the pivotal connection be- 3 tween the front bar and the lower arm section,

said member depending downwardly from the front bar; and engaging the lateral arm assembly at a point adjacent the pivot between the upper and lower arm sections as the arm sections reach a position parallel to the front bar and preventing displacement of the arm outwardly from its retracted position.

2. In an awning having a front bar, a back roller and a curtain suspended therebetween, the combination of a pivoted lateral arm assembly having upper and lower arm sections interconnected by a pivot, an offset pivotal connection between the front bar and the end of the lower arm section wherein said front bar, lower arm section and upper arm section, when collapsed, lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the awning curtain, said offset pivotal connection consisting of a bracket affixed to the under surface of the front bar, at a point opposite the curtain thereon and held by screw means perpendicular to said curtain.

CHARLES B. HUIZENGA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Anton Apr. 21, 1936 Number 

